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Waitrose is to remove all takeaway disposable cups from its coffee shops by autumn 2018, saving more than 52 million cups a year.

Customers will be asked to bring their own reusable cup to use rather than being offered a disposable coffee cup when they go through the checkout.

The retailer will initially remove disposable cups in nine branches from the end of this month to understand how to manage the changeover as smoothly as possible for customers before rolling it out across all stores by the autumn.

Tor Harris, head of sustainability and responsible sourcing at Waitrose, says: “We realise this is a major change, but we believe removing all takeaway disposable cups is the right thing to do for our business and are confident the majority of customers will support the environmental benefits. It underlines our commitment to plastic and packaging reduction and our aim is to deliver this as quickly as possible.”

Waitrose has also announced plans to train 800 baristas to give an even better hospitality service in its cafes.